The Dark Place
by Marymel
Summary: Mild spoilers for the first two episodes of season three! Mac gets Jack out of a nightmare.


**I don't own MacGyver.**

 **Spoilers for episode 3x02, Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship.**

 **In my opinion, episode 3x02 was the best episode yet. I loved Jack in this episode. So I thought it would be cool to have a story inspired by it. I wondered how Mac would help Jack if he knew about Jack's nightmares. So here's what I came up with. Please read and review!**

 _The sound of gunfire was deafening. All Jack Dalton could hear was screaming over the sound of bullets whizzing past. He could hear his Delta team shouting out orders and screaming. Then he saw Mac, working desperately to light a fuse to create a diversion to get them out of there. But the explosion detonated too soon, and Jack was horrified to see the flames and hear the screams. Jack screamed Mac's name to no avail. The next thing he knew, a bullet from an unknown location slammed into his left side. He fell helplessly to the ground and thought he heard Mac screaming his name as everything faded into darkness._

"JACK!"

Jack's eyes shot open and Mac narrowly avoided Jack's fist hitting his nose. The older agent panted heavily as he looked around the room, trying to get his bearings. He was in his own apartment and Mac was alive, looking at him with concern.

It had all been a nightmare.

Mac held Jack's shoulders as the older man tried to get his breathing under control. "Jack...you're okay."

"Oh," Jack sighed as he drifted back onto the pillows. Still breathing heavily, he looked up at his friend. "I thought...you..."

"It's okay," Mac assured him. He'd never seen his best friend so rattled.

Jack ran a hand down his sweaty face. "I was back with Caleb and the team...but you were there. Then...then..."

"Hey," Mac said when Jack faltered. "You're safe." He took Jack's hand and put it on his shoulder. "See? I'm right here."

Jack's lower lip quivered and tears sprang to his eyes. "Oh," he sighed, not willing to pull his hand from Mac's shoulder.

Mac patted Jack's hand as the elder man slowly calmed down. "You're here. I'm here. We're okay," Mac repeated as Jack calmed down.

Jack slowly pulled his hand from Mac's shoulder and wiped the tears from his eyes. He breathed a long sigh as he sat up.

"You're okay," Mac said as he sat back on Jack's bed.

"Oh," Jack breathed with a sigh. He looked at his best friend. "Thanks," he choked out.

"You're welcome."

Jack narrowed his brow. "How did you...?"

"You gave me the key," Mac said as he dug the spare key to Jack's place from his pocket. "You gave it to me years ago, remember?"

"Yeah," Jack said shakily.

"I tried calling," Mac explained. "You wouldn't answer. Matty's looking for you. I knocked on the door...and heard you screaming."

Jack sat up and buried his face in his hands. "Oh, man," he sighed.

Mac eyed his friend cautiously. "You sure...I can call Matty and tell her..."

"No," Jack said. He looked at his friend. "I guess just...after everything in Honduras...I hadn't had a nightmare like that in a while."

"It's okay," Mac said honestly. "We all get nightmares once in a while."

"Yeah," Jack said as he cleared his throat. He gazed at Mac with tear-filled eyes. "Thanks, man."

Mac patted Jack's shoulder. "No problem."

"No," Jack said. "Not just waking me up. Just...after everything..." He tearfully looked at Mac as he tried to find the words.

Mac seemed to know what Jack wanted to say. "Hey..." he said as he looked in Jack's big brown eyes. "You're welcome."

Jack smiled and sighed, grateful Mac would always be there for him. He glanced at his cell phone as it buzzed with a message from Matty.

"You sure you don't want me to tell her you're sick or..." Mac started.

"No," Jack said as he looked at the message. He laughed softly as he read. "You fall off the planet? Get here NOW," he read aloud.

Mac and Jack shared a laugh. "You sure you're up for it?" Mac asked.

Jack smiled at the younger agent. "Yes. We're here, right?"

Mac smiled. "Yeah. Why don't you get a shower and I'll tell Matty we're on our way?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah." He sent off a text to Matty that he and Mac would be there ASAP. He untangled his sweatpants-clad legs from the bedsheets and sighed as his bare feet hit the floor. Jack glanced at Mac. "Seriously...thanks."

"Anytime," Mac said. He smiled as the Texan stood with a groan and made his way to his bathroom.

When he heard the door close and water running, Mac sighed wearily and sat back on the bed. He'd never seen Jack have such a nightmare before. As much as it scared him, he was relieved to have brought Jack out of it. He knew, as much as he missed Nasha and Nigeria, he'd missed his home and family with the Phoenix more. And Jack was always more of a father to him than his own father had ever been.

Seeing Jack so broken after a nightmare made Mac realize he made the right decision to come back to the Phoenix Foundation. He didn't want to think about what Jack might have done if he hadn't come back. Yes, losing Jill was part of why Mac chose to come back. But seeing Jack so terrified after a dream...Mac shuddered when he thought of what his best friend might have done if he hadn't come in. Jack was right - he and Mac would always look out for each other.

Mac sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. At that moment, his cell phone rang. Mac saw the name on the caller ID and sighed as he put the phone to his ear. "Hey, Matty."

"Did you and Dalton run away together?" Mac's boss asked sarcastically.

Mac cleared his throat. "No. He's in the shower. He just...he was in a dark place."

Matty sighed softly. "He okay?"

"Yeah," Mac said. "Just...had a nightmare. I'd never seen him that bad. But he's okay."

"Good," Matty said with a deep breath. "You know, he was lost without you, Blondie."

"I know," Mac said with a sad smile. "But we're here. And...we're okay."

"Really?"

"Yes," Mac said honestly.

"Good," Matty said. "Because this assignment isn't going to wait. Both of you get here ASAP."

Mac couldn't help but softly smile when he heard the concerned tone in Matty's voice. "We will. See you in ten."

"See you," Matty said as she hung up.

Mac hung up just as Jack emerged from the bathroom dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. He softly smiled when he saw the elder man get his cell phone from the table. Mac would be forever thankful that he and Jack found each other all those years ago.

Jack glanced at Mac and saw the younger man smile. "What?"

"Just...good to be home," Mac said honestly.

A warm smile crossed Jack's face. "Yeah. We're good, right?"

"Yeah," Mac said. He knew he'd always be there for Jack just as the Texan would always be there for him.

Jack smiled, grateful to have Mac home. No matter what, he and Mac would always be there for each other.

As he followed Mac to the door, Jack cleared his throat. "Mac, seriously...thanks."

Mac smiled thoughtfully at his best friend. "Thank you. After everything...you've always been there for me."

"Always will be," Jack said.

The two shared a s smile knowing they always would look out for each other. Mac swore to never shut Jack out of his life like he did when he left for Nigeria, and Jack promised himself to tell Mac how much he really cared about him.

As they drove to the Phoenix Foundation, the words Mac said after his nightmare kept echoing through Jack's mind. _I'm here, you're here, we're okay._ Jack and Mac both knew they really were going to be okay.

 **The End**


End file.
